What Maharashtra’s power-sharing formula might look like

Mumbai:

Two days before the swearing-in ceremony of the new Maharashtra chief minister, the ruling alliance is yet to announce the name of the outgoing president. Sources, however, say that a formula has been found for the distribution of ministerial posts.

Sources said power sharing would be based on a 6-1 formula, meaning one ministerial post would be allocated for every six MPs from a party.

Under this formula, as expected, the BJP, which won 132 seats, will also have the maximum number of ministerial posts. His two allies, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party faction, also struck a profitable deal.

In numbers, this would translate to 20-22 ministerial posts for the BJP. Eknath Shinde’s party will have 12 posts and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP may be given 9-10 ministerial posts.

The fight, however, concerns the portfolios, notably that of the Ministry of the Interior, which Devendra Fadnavis has been in charge of for years. The Eknath Shinde faction of the Sena argues that the portfolio should be a compensation if they have to accept the post of Mr Fadnavis’ deputy.

Ajit Pawar’s NCP, meanwhile, has demanded an equal share as the Shinde faction in the new government, sources said. NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said their “strike rate” was better and hence ministerial posts should be allocated accordingly.

These troubles, coupled with the thorny issue of the chief ministry, explain the massive delay in an announcement.

The big reveal is expected to come on Wednesday, when BJP lawmakers will meet to choose a legislative party leader.

As for who it would be, most are betting on Devendra Fadnavis, who met Eknath Shinde earlier in the day in what many said was throwing oil on troubled waters.

Mr. Shinde, who had visited his village Satara after saying he would not be an “obstacle” to the BJP’s move, was admitted to the hospital today. His team called it a “routine check.”

Since the results were declared, leaders of the three parties in the ruling alliance have said they will sit down together and decide on the issue. But ten days later, no announcement has been made, sparking jeers from the opposition.

Led by Mr. Fadnavis, the BJP won a record 132 seats for the party, while the Shiv Sena faction led by Mr. Shinde won 57 seats. Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party won 41 seats, taking the ruling Mahayuti alliance to 230 of the state’s 288 seats.